With new advancements in innovative technology coming out nearly everyday, it seems unlikely any profession would be negatively affected by these new findings. However, there is one profession in particular that is virtually being replaced by all of these new technologies. What was once a growing profession, is becoming nearly non-existent due to new technology. What is this profession?
Copy editing...
With new technologies such as Spellcheck, publishing companies no longer view copy editors as beneficial to the business. When a new software can be purchased and will perform the 'same' tasks as a copy editor, why pay an individual to do something a computer can do?
However, copy editors cannot be replaced because of what they can do. There are tasks a computer cannot do when it comes to the editing process. A copy editor can understand the nature of a sentence, the meaning the author is trying to convey, a purposeful fragment, etc. In all reality, computers are not able to understand the nature of a piece of literature or a journal/newspaper article.
So why replace something that is not broken with something that cannot do everything that is being asked?
Copy editing...
With new technologies such as Spellcheck, publishing companies no longer view copy editors as beneficial to the business. When a new software can be purchased and will perform the 'same' tasks as a copy editor, why pay an individual to do something a computer can do?
However, copy editors cannot be replaced because of what they can do. There are tasks a computer cannot do when it comes to the editing process. A copy editor can understand the nature of a sentence, the meaning the author is trying to convey, a purposeful fragment, etc. In all reality, computers are not able to understand the nature of a piece of literature or a journal/newspaper article.
So why replace something that is not broken with something that cannot do everything that is being asked?
Unfortunately though...
"Copy editors are being bought out or forced out; they are dying and not being replaced." --Lawrence Downes
"Copy editors are being bought out or forced out; they are dying and not being replaced." --Lawrence Downes